Pakistan summoned the Afghan ambassador August 19 to convey concerns about a perceived media campaign to smear Islamabad by politicians in Kabul.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently castigated Pakistan for failing to rein in the Taliban and sent a delegation to Islamabad to demand action against the militants, who have launched attacks on Afghanistan from a base in Pakistan.
Moreover, on August 18, Kabul summoned Pakistan's ambassador to demand an explanation for a recent border incident in which eight Afghan police were killed.
That prompted a tit-for-tat move by Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who disputed that Islamabad is aiding the Taliban in a meeting with Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai.
"Such allegations undercut mutual confidence and affect the environment of bilateral relations that both countries had been working hard to improve," Chaudhry told Mosazai, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
"Pakistan has been acting with maximum restraint and avoiding playing the blame game," Chaudhry said as he lodged a strong protest against recent cross-border fire that killed three Pakistani security officers.